About the Festival

The Festival of Biodiversity is an annual event which aims to create awareness and foster a sense of appreciation for our natural heritage. Visitors will be presented with a range of activities for all ages at the Festival.

Initiated in 2012, the Festival of Biodiversity is organised by the National Parks Board in collaboration with the Biodiversity Roundtable and is the biggest biodiversity festival in Singapore. The Biodiversity Roundtable is an initiative which includes more than 20 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) involved in local biodiversity issues, and NParks.

Since its initiation, the Festival has garnered the support of many biodiversity-related interest groups and NGOs. These groups play a crucial role in creating awareness about our island’s biodiversity and in nurturing our City in Nature vision.

Wrapping up 2024's Festival of Biodiversity

This year’s Festival of Biodiversity (FoB), held on 25 and 26 May at One Punggol drew nature enthusiasts of all ages to celebrate Singapore’s rich and diverse flora and fauna.

At the launch of the 13th edition of FoB, updates on biodiversity conservation efforts by NParks and the community were announced by Guest-of-Honour, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was hosted by Minister for National Development and Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, Mr Desmond Lee. This included the success of ex-situ conservation efforts for all three of Singapore’s endemic freshwater crabs in the Species Recovery Programme, the completion of the third and most comprehensive edition of the Singapore Red Data Book (RDB3), and the revision of the NParks’ Biodiversity Impact Assessment (BIA) guidelines. President Tharman also presented awards to the winners of NParks’ Community in Nature Schools Award 2024, which received a total of 70 nominations across educational levels from preschools to junior colleges, up from 65 in 2022 and 44 in 2020.

President Tharman speaking to youth stakeholders involved in biodiversity conservation and outreach.

With over 20 nature groups offering fun, interactive booths, workshops, and spotlight talks to educate and inspire attendees about the importance of biodiversity conservation, the festival brought together a diverse group of people united by a common passion for nature and a commitment to conservation. Volunteers from various nature groups, schools, and communities volunteered their time and effort, demonstrating the power of collective action in biodiversity conservation.

The NParks’ Conservation Division team sharing about the work that goes in conserving Singapore’s native flora and fauna.

A series of workshops delved deeper into various aspects of biodiversity conservation, covering a range of topics from sharks and wildcats to oceans and forests, through hands-on activities such as clay-making, mask-making and storytelling sessions.

Singapore Wildcat Action Group’s workshop, “Love Our Wildcats!”, brought participants on a journey about wildcats, through storytelling, mask-making and face painting.

The three spotlight talks were also a highlight of the festival, drawing over 100 participants who were eager to hear from prominent figures in the conservation world. Speakers included renowned biologists, ecologists, and conservationists who shared their experiences, research findings, and personal stories of working in the field.

The Friends of Marine Park introduced the wonderful world of marine life and habitats at the “Marine Talk for Kids!”.

Look forward to the biggest biodiversity festival in Singapore, the Festival of Biodiversity, in 2025!

(Sunrise Bridge at Punggol Waterway Park. Photo credits: Jo Chua)